Infertility

is when a women is not able to to become pregnant after a year of trying (or six months if a woman is 35 or older). Infertility can affect both women and men.

Infertility Overview

Reviewed: July 21, 2014

Updated: August 5, 2015

About 10 percent of women (6.1 million), between the ages of ages 15-44, in the United States have a difficult time becoming pregnant or staying pregnant.

Infertility is when a women is not able to to become pregnant after a year of trying (or six months if a woman is 35 or older).

Infertility also includes if a woman continues to have miscarriages or stillbirths.

Infertility can affect both women and men. Infertility also means if a man has not been able to get a woman pregnant after at least one year of trying.

Infertility is common. After one year of having unprotected sex, about 15 percent of couples are not able to become pregnant. About a third of the time, infertility is due to the woman. In another third of cases, it is due to the man. The rest of the time, infertility is may be due to both partners or there is not a cause that can be found.

There are specific treatments for men and for women, but some treatments will involve both women and males. Treatments may include medications, surgery, artificial insemination, or assisted reproductive technologies. After treatments, many couples are able to have babies.

Living With Infertility

Finding the cause of infertility and treatment can be a long and emotional process. It may take time to complete all the needed tests and /or treatments. Talk to your doctor about the different treatments.

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) can be expensive and be a long process. However, ART has allowed many couples to have children. ART may result in multiple fetuses. However, this can be prevented or chances of multiple fetuses can be reduced by several methods.

Infertility Treatments

Infertility can be treated with medications, surgery, artificial insemination, or assisted reproductive technology. In most cases, these treatments are done in combination. In most cases infertility is treated with medications or surgery.

Your doctors will recommend specific treatments based on a variety of factors.

Many fertility medications increase the chance of having twins, triplets, or other multiples. There are several medications that may be used to treat problems with ovulation. Talk to your doctor about what is the best treatment for you. He/she will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different treatments.

Surgery:

In women, surgery can correct some physical problems.

Artificial insemination:

Intrauterine insemination (IUI), otherwise known as artificial insemination, is when specially prepared sperm is injected into the woman. In some cases, medication to stimulate ovulation will be given before IUI.

IUI is often given in the following cases:

Mild male factor infertility

Women with cervical mucus issues

Infertility cause that can not be determined

Assisted reproductive technology (ART):

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a group of different methods. ART works by mixing the eggs, taken from the woman's body, with sperm to make embryos. The embryos are then put back in the woman's body.

Common methods of ART include:

In vitro fertilization (IVF) means fertilization outside of the body. IVF is the most effective ART. Women are given medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. Once mature, the eggs are removed from the woman. They are mixed with sperm. After a few days, the healthy embryos are put back in the woman's body.

Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) or Tubal Embryo Transfer is similar to IVF. The embryo is transferred to the fallopian tube.

Infertility Prognosis

The success rates will vary for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and will depend on a variety of factors such as

Age of the partners

Reason for infertility

Type of ART

If the egg or embryo is fresh or frozen

According to 2006 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average percentage of ART cycles that led to a live birth were:

39 percent in women under the age of 35

30 percent in women aged 35-37

21 percent in women aged 37-40

11 percent in women aged 41-42

ART can be expensive and a long process. However, ART has allowed many couples to have children. ART may result in multiple fetuses. However, this can be prevented or chances of multiple fetuses can be reduced by several methods.

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